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Carnivorous plants Q+A

Questions and answers
Q1 What is the difference between Carnivorous Plants & Insectivorous Plants?
A1 Carnivorous Plants is given more readily in the past 30 years but to be true there are classed as insect eating plants so the older name is better
name for these great plants…

Q2 Can I grow these plants?
A2 Yes BUT you have take in to account that there are around 1000 of these plants in the world, which grow in different places and conditions.

Q3 Can I grow them in any type of soils?
A3 NO, as these plants have come to trap insects to provide them with the nutrients they need, the soil must not contain nutrients.
For a more detailed article on soil types please have a look at a friend’s site, www.insectivorousplants.co.uk.

Q4 What water do I use?
A4 Rainwater is best for all these plants. All tap water will kill your plants.

Q5 Can I grow a Venus Fly Trap?
A5 Yes these plants can be grown easy as long as you give them the same conditions that they receive in nature.
These plants need to be warm in Summer and cool / cold in Winter, as they need to slow down their growth rate
ready for their winter dormancy.

Q6 Can these plants help me with the killing of insects?
A6 YES these plants will trap and kill most insects, but some of the traps can only be used around 5 times before they die,
but the plant will grow another to replace it by this time.
In summer, most of these plants grow more traps due to more insect about at that time.
Some of these plants are used in commercial greenhouses to provide an organic environment.

Q7 What if my pet or child eats a bit of these plants?
A7 These plant do produce a type of nectar, which is full of sugars and chemicals that make some insect fall a sleep.
We, like most animals may be ill / sick for little while, but if you feel that it going on to long then get help.
As for Children, it may be an idea to see a Doctor as these plants do have dead insects decomposing inside the
traps.
(Some of these plants are being used for medical research in the past, and are being tested now for new applications.
Some are used in places for making some foods. )

Q8 Which plants are best to grow for me?
A8 The best plants that easy to grow are the ones that grow in your area of this world.
Here in the UK it is best to grow most north American, North Europe and North Asia as these all have the same
winter temperatures.
However, there some Austrian plants that will grow well too here in the UK.

Q9 If I have a green house can I grow more of these plants?
A9 YES But as a greenhouse can be a cold, warm or hot you will need to look up the plants for the conditions you have.

Q10 Can I grow them around my pond?
A10 It depends on what you are growing them in,
as these plants will need rainwater in the summer and pond water cannot be used for watering these plants.
They cannot be planted in normal garden soil.
You can make bog garden next to the pond, which does look good,
so if you are making a pond get more rubber then you need for the pond, and then you can use it to make bog
garden.
There is a good description on building a bog garden at www.insectivorousplants.co.uk

Q11 The plants I have are turning brown, are they dying?
A11 The leaf / trap will normally die from the end to the base after a time.
Some species also die back in late summer/Winter to prepare them for the winter dormancy.
The brown dead parts of the plants can be trimmed back,
it is advisable to keep trimming the tips back as the traps will still be using the 'fly soup' it has
produced in the base of the traps.
.

Q12 Do I use a big pot when I re-pot or when receiving these through the post?
A12 Most of these plants have small roots, which are replace over time.
In some species these can easily break.
We send most carnivorous plants potted, they can be grown as supplied or can be re-potted once they
have recovered from the journey.
Some species like to be root bound, such as some Utricularia.
Re-potting these into larger pots will produce more leaves but they need to be root bound to flower.
Please remember that the roots are there to hold secure them in the soil and to take in water.

Q13 How do I tell if my plant is growing OK?
A13 Most of these plants will grow faster in the summer then they do in Winter.
It is a good idea to use sphagnum moss around the plants, as it will go brown and dry looking if the
plant is not give enough water,
and will turn slimy if there is too much water and not enough air movement. .

Q14 I have a small garden can I still grow these plants?
A14 Yes, if you have some room for a planter you can grow a number of plants together. Alternatively, many can grow on a windowsill too.

Q15 Is there any where on the Internet I can get more details on these plants?
A15 Yes, try www.insectivorousplants.co.uk or have a look at our guides.

Q16 Do these plants flower?
A16 Yes some of these plants have great colours and shape

Q17 Do I Let my Venus fly trap flower?
A17 On Venus flytraps, it is best to cut them off when the flower stalk is about 3 inches tall.
With the plant using a lot of energy to produce the flower, removing them will transfer the energy
back in to the plant.
If your interested in producing seeds, it is best to wait until the plant are over 4 years old, as
older mature plants can survive flowering better than younger ones.
Other species can be left to flower, as these can be very nice to see and in return, you may get some
free seed.

Q18 My Sarracenia has black mould on it, is this normal?
A18 YES it can be clean off with a damp cloth.
To keep this off you plant you need to keep them in an airy place and do not keep them to wet in
winter.
Also, look for a small brown scale insect that can introduce this to your plant,
so clean them off with your fingers when you see them.
In addition, the nectar on the trap can go black and dusty, this is normal at times.

Q19 Are there any hardy plants that can be grown outside in the UK?
A19 Yes, many can be grown out side; we have 8 plants that grow natural here. All Sarracenia, many Drosera's, Utric's and Ping's too.

Q20 How many of these plants are there in the world?
A20 Around a thousand to date. Not all are grown in the collector’s world.

Q21 Are these plants rare?
A21 Some are very rare. The Venus Fly trap is now rare in nature and like all plants are not to be dug up.
Always purchase your plants from a reputable source, and make sure they are not collected from the
wild.
We only supply plants that have been artificially cultivated by nursery grown stock.
In this way, we are protecting these plants, and spreading them through collectors for future generations.
With most of these being on SITES endangered list, there are rules to shipping some plants to overseas countries,
so please see your local government for details.

Q22 Do I have to feed these plants?
A22 Most carnivorous plants only require a small amount of food each year.
A Venus flytrap can survive on a single fly a year.
It can do more damage feeding them 'caught' insects than just leaving them to catch their own.
One way to encourage them to catch their own is to put the ones grown inside, outside on a summers evening,
they will catch as much as they can, then they can be put back inside.